A Self-Reliant People Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A Self-Reliant People GREATER DEANWOOD HERITAGE TRAIL Long a country town at the edge of Washington, DC’s urban center, Greater Deanwood rose from former slave plantations. It became one of Washington’s earliest predominantly African American communities. Follow this trail to meet the individuals who forged this oasis of self-determination and discover the hand- crafted dwellings, parkland, families, and institutions they created. 86421.indd 1 2/9/09 8:20:50 PM Welcome. 86421.indd 2 2/9/09 8:21:02 PM Welcome. Visitors to Washington, DC flock to the National Mall, where grand monuments symbolize the nation’s highest ideals. This self-guided walking tour is the ninth in a series that invites you to discover what lies beyond the monuments: Washington’s historic neighborhoods. Forged from former slave plantations, Greater Deanwood early became a pre- dominantly African American community. Its location away from the city’s center prompted its country-town atmosphere and a do-it-yourself ethic. This keepsake guide summarizes the 15 signs of A Self-Reliant People: Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail. Visitors to Deanwood’s Suburban Gardens amusement park, around 1935. Scurlock Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History 86421.indd 1 2/9/09 8:21:11 PM © 9, Cultural Tourism DC All rights reserved. Distributed by Cultural Tourism DC H Street, NW, Suite Washington, DC www.CulturalTourismDC.org Design by side view/Hannah Smotrich Map by Bowring Cartographic As you walk this trail, please keep safety in mind, just as you would while visiting any unfamiliar place. 86421.indd 2 2/9/09 8:21:11 PM A Self-Reliant People Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail Korey Bowers Brown Lead Historian Jane Freundel Levey Editor and Historian Mara Cherkasky Writer and Historian Sarah Fairbrother and J. Brendan Meyer Project Directors Terry Restivo and Erinn Roos Project Staff A project of Cultural Tourism DC, Linda Donavan Harper, Executive Director, in collaboration with the Deanwood Heritage Trail Working Group, Kia Chat- mon, Chair, and the Deanwood History Committee. Funding provided by District Department of Trans- portation, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and U.S. Department of Transportation. 86421.indd 3 2/9/09 8:21:11 PM Introduction Residents of theGreater Greater Deanwood Deanwood in far area ofNortheast far Northeast Washington Washington are proud are proud of their of history.their It’shistory. an American It’s an American story, forged story, by forged a white by society a white that forsociety decades that fordidn’t decades question didn’t its question practices its of practices racial ofseparation racial separation and by an and African by an AmericanAfrican American society societythat refused that refusedto accept to the accept judgments the judgments of outsiders. of outsiders. In the 1800s Washington’s powerful white devel- Inopers the favored1800s Washington’s areas northwest powerful of the white Anacostia. devel- Navy Yard across the Anacostia River, landowners opersLand eastfavored of the areas river, northwest relatively offar the from Anacostia. the White saw an opportunity. House,Land east held of thelittle river, interest. relatively Smaller far frominvestors the White and House,individuals held foundlittle interest. a foothold Smaller here, investors and while and Thenew transportationSheriff family tohad jobs owned downtown 330 acres and east at theof Greaterindividuals Deanwood found a remained foothold semi-ruralhere, and while into the Navythe station Yard acrosssince slaveholder the Anacostia Levi River, Sheriff landowners pur- 1940s,Greater it Deanwood still offered remained modest semi-ruralopportunity. into Racial the chasedsaw an opportunity.them from the Benning family in 1833. 1940s,restrictions it still were offered not appliedmodest toopportunity. its housing, Racial and About two decades later, Sheriff’s daughters Mary Africanrestrictions American were not families applied found to its the housing, area welcom and - TheCornelia Sheriff Sheriff family Dean, had Emmelineowned 330 Sheriff,acres east and of Africaning, affordable, American and families convenient. found theLeft area to welcomtheir own- Margaretthe station Sheriff since slaveholder Lowrie inherited Levi Sheriff the land. pur -After resources,ing, affordable, residents and oftenconvenient. built their Left ownto their homes own chasedthe railroad them arrived from the in Benning1871, the familysisters—hoping in 1833. resources,and created residents communities often wherebuilt their self-reliance own homes Aboutto get rich—establishedtwo decades later, subdivisions Sheriff’s daughters they called Mary andbecame created the byword.communities where self-reliance Whittingham,Cornelia Sheriff Lincoln Dean, Heights, Emmeline and Sheriff, Burrville. and But became the byword. Margaretsales were Sheriff slow. It wouldLowrie beinherited nearly anotherthe land. 20 After The seeds of Greater Deanwood were sown a few yearsthe railroad before arrivedLevi Sheriff’s in 1871, grandsonthe sisters—hoping Julian Dean Theyears seeds after ofthe Greater Civil DeanwoodWar, when thewere Southern sown a few wouldto get rich—established build 20 houses in subdivisions his new subdivision, they called Marylandyears after Railroad the Civil built War, a stationwhen the near Southern the site of Whittingham,Deanewood. (Julian Lincoln had Heights, added anand E Burrville.to the fam- But Marylandtoday’s Minnesota Railroad Avenue built a stationMetro station.near the With site of salesily name. were Although slow. It would the E be was nearly later anotherdropped, 20 the newtoday’s transportation Minnesota Avenue to jobs Metrodowntown station. and With at the yearsDeanwood before name Levi Sheriff’sstuck.) grandson Julian Dean Nannie Helen Burroughs SchoolNannie Helen Burroughs would build 20 houses in his new subdivision, Deanewood.Deanwood’s development(Julian had added received an Ea toboost the infam- 1890, whenily name. Benning Although Racetrack the E wasopened later just dropped, west of the the Deanwoodtrain station. name Described stuck.) as “the best equipped racetrack in Washington,” Benning provided en- Deanwood’stertainment fordevelopment Washingtonians received of aall boost walks in of 1890, life, whenas well Benning as employment Racetrack for opened nearby justresidents. west of the train station. Described as “the best equipped Inracetrack 1921 the in train—and Washington,” by then Benning the streetcar— provided en- tertainmentbrought Washingtonians for Washingtonians from all of over all walks to Subur of life,- asban well Gardens, as employment the city’s forfirst nearby and only residents. amusement park. The park served African American families excluded from such segregated facilities as Glen National Training School Founder Nannie Helen Burroughs, left, Echo in suburban Maryland. For nearly two and the Ladies Auxiliary, around 1915. 86421.indd 4 2-16-09 3:14:48 PM The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Society Historical The of Washington, The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Society Historical The of Washington, Looking east across Benning Bridge toward Deanwood, around 1895. Collection of Charles Kern Residents of theGreater Greater Deanwood Deanwood in far area ofNortheast far Northeast Washington Washington are proud are proud of their of history.their It’shistory. an American It’s an American story, forged story, by forged a white by society a white that forsociety decades that fordidn’t decades question didn’t its question practices its of practices racial ofseparation racial separation and by an and African by an AmericanAfrican American society societythat refused that refusedto accept to the accept judgments the judgments of outsiders. of outsiders. The house built by Levi Sheriff, photographed in 1916. In the 1800s Washington’s powerful white devel- Inopers the favored1800s Washington’s areas northwest powerful of the white Anacostia. devel- Navy Yard across the Anacostia River, landowners opersLand eastfavored of the areas river, northwest relatively offar the from Anacostia. the White Thesaw house an opportunity. built by Levi Sheriff, photographed in 1916. House,Land east held of thelittle river, interest. relatively Smaller far frominvestors the White and House,individuals held foundlittle interest. a foothold Smaller here, investors and while and Thenew transportationSheriff family tohad jobs owned downtown 330 acres and east at theof Greaterindividuals Deanwood found a remained foothold semi-ruralhere, and while into the Navythe station Yard acrosssince slaveholder the Anacostia Levi River, Sheriff landowners pur- 1940s,Greater it Deanwood still offered remained modest semi-ruralopportunity. into Racial the chasedsaw an opportunity.them from the Benning family in 1833. 1940s,restrictions it still were offered not appliedmodest toopportunity. its housing, Racial and About two decades later, Sheriff’s daughters Mary Africanrestrictions American were not families applied found to its the housing, area welcom and - TheCornelia Sheriff Sheriff family Dean, had Emmelineowned 330 Sheriff,acres east and of Africaning, affordable, American and families convenient. found theLeft area to welcomtheir own- Margaretthe station Sheriff since slaveholder Lowrie inherited Levi Sheriff the land. pur -After resources,ing, affordable, residents and oftenconvenient. built their Left ownto their homes own chasedthe railroad them arrived from the in Benning1871, the familysisters—hoping in 1833.